Waking Phantoms
by f1anne1
Summary: Just weeks after the Admin was removed from power and Petra set off into the unknown, Jesse finds himself thrust once again into an adventure he didn't particularly want to have. When Petra returns to town injured and out of sorts, Jesse must return to the Underground to hunt down and stop a new threat, a threat with a special breed of phantoms on their side.
1. Chapter 1

Jesse walked through town, waving and smiling at its citizens as they continued work on their homes. The Admin- Romeo- had really done a number on the place, destroying and distorting buildings and homes and businesses to his whims. It was a wonder people had already been able to readjust, mostly, to Jesse being, well, Jesse again. The Admin has done awful things in his name, and it had taken a lot of work to get people comfortable around him again. His friends had been easiest to win back- they knew him best, after all.

Lost in thought, the sound of frantic footsteps on cobblestone behind him didn't register until he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Jesse, Sir!" Radar's voice shook him from his thinking, and Jesse turned to face his friend.

"Radar! Hey! What's up?"

"Not too much- just a little paperwork. Oh! You've also got a few requests! Someone on the edge of town needs some more dark oak, was wondering if you could help them with that. And I think Nell sent one, asking you to check out her new statue." Radar fidgeted with the clipboard in his hands, flipping paper up to check what was written underneath. "And Lukas sent a letter, too. He was wondering if you could visit him, either sometime today or tomorrow? Wants to talk about something, didn't specify."

"Thanks, Radar." Jesse hummed, making mental note of things to do. He'd been getting requests near nonstop, but that wasn't an issue. So what if he wasn't getting as much sleep? People needed him, that was way more important.

It'd only been a week or two since Romeo had been ousted, there was still a lot left to fix. "I think I'll head over now- no point in waiting around, right? Whatever he wants to talk about is probably important."

Radar gave him a look, something knowing, before shrugging. "Sounds good. I can help out with a few of the requests, like the wood, but others will have to wait for you."

"Thanks again, Radar."

"No problem, Jesse!"

Radar scampered off to do some job, clipboard tucked under his arm and pep in his step. Jesse smiled- he'd been doing a good job as Co-Hero in Residence, even seeming more confident. Jesse guessed a little adventuring could do that. It was good to see him doing so well, and it was even better to see how much his help was doing for the Beacontowners.

With a satisfied huff, Jesse set off towards the gate- headed off to see what exactly Lukas wanted to talk about.

Lukas's home sat just outside of Beacontown, nestled in the forest, marked only by the little trail of torches leading up to it. It was quiet, just the sort of place someone who writes would be expected to live.

Jesse stepped up onto the porch, giving Dewey, Lukas's ocelot, a quick pet before knocking.

"Lukas? You there?"

There was a muffled scraping sound of a chair against the wooden floor, then the door creaked open, revealing a slightly-frazzled looking Lukas.

"Jesse! Hey. Didn't expect you here so soon."

"Well, you know me. Never one to miss out on seeing my friends." Jesse smiled, shrugging. Lukas smiled too, visibly relaxing and softening.

"Yeah." He stepped to the side, gesturing Jesse in and taking his seat again. Manuscripts littered the ink-stained desk, and Lukas moved them aside, into a neat little pile. "So, Jesse, I wanted to talk." There was that tenseness again, Lukas looking nervous, not quite meeting Jesse's eyes. "Jesse, I know the last few weeks have been rough, especially thanks to all that happened with the Admin." He shuddered, and Jesse couldn't help but feel a little more concerned than he had a moment ago. "A lot happened. And then, immediately after, even more happened. Petra left, Ivor went off to who-knows-where, and you were immediately swept up in all the work everyone else needed done. I just," Lukas sighed, finally looking up at him, "I want to make sure you're doing alright. I'm thinking of moving into town- I know you don't need my help but-"

"Lukas, hey." Jesse put a hand on the other's shoulder. "I'd love to have you in Beacontown. And I could always do with an extra set of hands, yeah?" He was purposefully dodging the more emotionally-charged parts of the last weeks Lukas had brought up. He'd been avoiding them for a while now, not wanting to think of friendships that had been drifting apart.

Lukas's mouth tilted into a sad, soft smile. "Jesse, you need to talk about this stuff. You can't just bottle it up and bury it under work."

"I mean I can-"

"You shouldn't, though."

Jesse hummed, breaking the eye contact. "I'm fine. I figured Petra was going to leave at some point, anyways, especially since I'd been so busy here."

"Jesse, why didn't you go with her?"

"Because. Beacontown is my home- being Hero in Residence is my 'thing-' I couldn't just leave after everything that happened. Besides, you and everyone else are here, it wouldn't feel right to leave you guys just to keep in contact with Petra." Jesse crossed his arms, looking down at the desk. "It sucks that she left, sure, but she's happier out there, and honestly? I need a break from adventuring. I'm ready to settle down a bit, take my job seriously."

Lukas watched him with wondering eyes, quiet. Neither said anything for a moment, before Lukas exhaled heavily.

"Well, if it means anything, I'm glad you stayed." There was an unspoken feeling to his words, a silent I'd miss you . Jesse offered a smile.

"I am too." I'd miss you too.

The two chatted a bit more, discussing current events, how Lukas's writing was going, and all sorts of little nonsense. It was nice, especially after Jesse had spent the day solving others' problems, to just breathe and spend some time with a friend.

If only such peace could last.

There was a knock at the door, and both Jesse and Lukas startled to their feet.

"Hello? Jesse? Lukas?" It was Radar, voice pitching up, filled with panic.

Jesse and Lukas swapped a look before stepping outside.

"Radar, what's wrong?" Lukas asked.

Radar swallowed hard. "It's Petra."

"Petra? What?"

"Someone found her just outside of Beacontown- Jesse it's not good." Radar looked like he might throw up. Jesse rested a hand on his arm.

"Radar, tell us what happened on the way there. We've got to go."

Lukas nodded, grabbing his bow and quiver from where they rested by the door and slinging them both over his back. "I'm coming with you."

The three rushed into town, Radar taking the lead in an anxious burst of adrenaline, spouting the story as he went.

"Casey- the person who found Petra- found her collapsed in the woods just a bit always from here. Said she was near unconscious- so he brought her to town as fast as he could. She's in bad shape, Jesse. I don't know what did it, but Casey said it looked a little like she'd been attacked by something called a phantom?"

"A phantom? Those things don't show up during the day-"

"Right? So that was really weird! But what was weirder was the fact that she just kept talking . Couldn't really understand what she was saying, it was mostly gibberish I think, but she just kept going! Didn't pass out, either- close but not out."

"That's... really weird."

"Definitely."

Radar lead them to the New Order Hall, straight to the guest wing that'd been added just recently for a few of Binta's people. They stopped in front of a door.

"They're in here." Radar mumbled. "I think... I'm going to wait out here. I'm not good with blood."

Jesse felt his stomach flip, and Lukas shot him a worried look.

"Okay, don't worry about it Radar."

Taking a deep breath, Jesse pushed the door open, stepping inside the small room. Jack and Nurm were huddled by the bed, on which lay Petra, eyes wide open with fear, rimmed with sleeplessness. The rest of her... well, it wasn't a pretty sight. Most of it had been bandaged, likely by Nurm judging by the roll still in the villager's hand, but the stuff that hadn't been looked deep.

Bite marks, clear by the shape of the punctures, littered her arms, accompanied by long scratches on her face.

Jack was holding her bandana- they must've had to take it off to bandage something- and rubbing it between his thumb and pointer, worrying the fabric, staring ahead with glossy eyes.

There was another in the room, Casey, Jesse guessed. Just some plain looking miner in green leather armor, a rose pinned to his shirt collar. He looked up as the heroes entered, nodding respectfully and offering his hand.

"I'm Casey- sorry about your friend."

"Thanks for making sure she got here." Jesse shook his hand, turning his attention back to Petra and Jack. Casey shook Lukas's hand too, nodding once more before leaving, his worries soothed mostly now that they were here to watch their friend.

"So, how is she?" Jesse asked, Jack only barely seeming to register the question.

"She's going to survive." The adventurer replied, voice quiet. Nurm mumbled something, finishing up wrapping Petra's ankle, and crossed the room to stand next his partner. Jack leaned against him, breathing heavy. Lukas could tell he'd been crying, but chose not to say anything for his honor's sake.

Lukas turned to Nurm. "Anyone know what caused it?"

Nurm hummed, and Jack sighed. "Casey guessed phantoms, but with how recent most of those cuts are, it wouldn't make sense considering it's the middle of the day. Nurmie thinks it might've been wolves, but still, that doesn't make much sense either." Jack clenched the bandana in his hand. "It doesn't matter what, but when we figure it out, I'm going to hunt it down."

Jesse looked to Lukas, who shrugged, crossing his arms right against himself.

"Just when we think we can rebuild, something goes wrong." Lukas shook his head.

"We'll figure this out- Petra will be okay, and we'll deal with the situation like we always do."

"By going on an over-complicated quest?"

" By talking to people who know about stuff like this."

Jesse moved to the door, looking back over his shoulder and casting a worried look to Petra's wide, staring eyes. A shiver passed through him.

"We'll figure it out."

Lukas and Jesse walked the streets of Beacontown, both processing what had just happened and thinking through courses of action. The only person either of them could think of who might know anything about phantoms would be Ivor, who, just their luck, wasn't anywhere nearby.

It was quiet now, being that it was getting a bit late, but neither were tired. They walked in silence for a while, nervous for Petra, but comfortable in one another's presence. As they passed one of the newer builds- a small cafe, someone stood up, recognizing them before they recognized her.

"Jesse, Lukas, hey."

"Oh, hey Binta." Binta had gotten up from her seat, quickly coming to greet them, smiling slightly. "How have your people been settling?"

"Very well, actually. Still adjusting to the light and such, but doing well. Not sure if Stella mentioned, but a small group of them headed over that way. They wanted to help rebuild, maybe move there." She shrugged, smile dropping only when she managed to actually read either of their expressions. "Hey, what's wrong?"

Lukas stuffed his hands in his pockets, looking towards Jesse, then back to Binta. "Petra came back."

"Oh? That's not bad, though. So..?"

"She's not doing well." Jesse mumbled. Lukas shifted closer to him, some attempt at quiet comfort.

"What happened?" Binta's brow had furrowed, concern clear in her grey eyes.

"Not really sure, someone suggested phantoms."

"Phantoms?" That seemed to catch her off guard, and she glanced towards the darkening sky. "Has she not been sleeping?"

Lukas's hand had made its way into Jesse's somehow, as Jesse's nerves seemed to edge closer and closer towards frantic. The contact was helping, though. Grounding.

"I'm not really sure, Binta." Jesse said, looking to the ground.

"We had some issues with phantoms in the Underground." Binta had crossed one of her arms across her chest, tapping her chin with the other. "They picked on a few of us- wool wasn't exactly a common commodity down there, so beds were... difficult to come by." She looked to the sky again. "They're dangerous, and persistent. If your friend has phantoms after her, she'd better keep indoors and get rest."

"That's another issue, though." Lukas cut in. "She's been rambling, and, apparently, unable to pass out, let alone sleep."

Binta frowned, deep in thought. "Phantoms don't usually cause anything like that. That's really strange. Is there anything up here that could cause something like that?"

"Not that we know of." Jesse mumbled.

Binta inhaled deeply, then exhaled. "Well, I'll ask around. Maybe someone who'd been haunted before could answer some questions, I'll let you know if I find anything."

"Thanks, Binta." Lukas replied. "C'mon Jesse, we should get back to the hall."

Jesse blinked at him. "We?"

"I'm not going to just leave you." Lukas offered a sad smile, "Especially not right now."

"Thanks, Lukas."

"Of course."

Jesse showed Lukas to a room in the guest wing before heading off to his own room, a bedroom-turned-office with a bed stuffed in a corner, underneath a pile of paperwork. He was too tired to deal with it now, too stressed to bother sorting through each page to figure out what wants or needs were written on them. Tired arms moved them off the bed and onto the floor, and Jesse collapsed into the cool sheets, still in his clothes from the day.

Jesse, usually one to take forever to doze off, slipped into restless sleep with ease, mind a whirlwind of thoughts and pressing dreams.

Jesse was awoken in the middle of the night by a scream- it jolted him from some nightmare and into another, this one real. He leapt to his feet and ran into the hall, only to be greeted by Lukas, looking as frightened as Jesse, if not more.

"What was that?"

"It sounded like Petra." Jesse didn't pause to talk, rushing off to see what was wrong with his friend, Lukas close behind, bow in hand.

The two burst into Petra's room, ready to fight, only to find her sitting, alone, staring wide-eyed and dead ahead at them, gaze unfocused.

"Petra? Petra, what's wrong?" Jesse asked, approaching slow with an outstretched hand. Lukas kept towards the door, ready to leap into action should something go wrong.

Petra leaned forward, body limp and seemingly unwieldy, squinting at Jesse. "Jesse?"

"It's me, Petra."

"Jesse- the phantoms- don't phantoms burn in the daylight? How did..?"

So it was phantoms. "There's no phantoms, not here. You're okay." Jesse tried to soothe.

Petra hadn't blinked. "But there were out there . Jesse, there were so many."

Lukas approached now, slow as Jesse had. "Petra, how long has it been since you slept?"

"Not sure." She replied, eyes searching the ceiling as if it were open sky. "Probably too long. But-" She inhaled sharply. "I can't sleep. I've been having the worst dreams." Petra sounded so distant, her voice wavering, different entirely from its usual confidence. "I can't sleep."

Jesse and Lukas shared a look, before Jesse turned back to their friend. "Petra, you need to sleep. Phantoms only haunt people who don't sleep."

She shuddered, hugging herself. "But-"

"Petra, please, at least try." Jesse pleaded.

Petra's worried eyes turned to the two, still unclear, still glossy. After a moment, a long, drawn out moment of eye-contact, she nodded.

"Okay. Okay, I'll try."

"Good." Jesse replied, watching as Petra readjusted, laying back, eyes on the ceiling still, until, at last, they slipped closed and her breathing slowed. Hopefully it'd stay so peaceful for her.

The two boys backed out of the room, closing the door behind them, breathing heavy sighs.

"That was-"

"Weird."

"No kidding." Jesse shook his head, shuddering again. "Gosh, I've never seen her like this."

"Me neither. Never seen anyone haunted by a phantom like this, actually." Lukas glanced towards the door. "Jesse, I don't know if we're just dealing with phantoms here."

"I know, I agree. Phantoms don't cause," another shudder, "that."

"I think we should find a way to contact Ivor. He might know something."

"Or maybe see if Binta's found anything."

"Both." Lukas agreed, nodding.

The two stood in silence, breathing and trying to calm the fright.

"Lukas, I don't think I'm going back to bed."

"Me neither." Lukas rubbed his eyes. "Want to see if we can find any info in the hall library or something? Get a head start?"

"May as well."

The hall library was quite an expansive collection, and finding info on phantoms was easy once you knew what kind of book to look for.

Jesse flipped through yet another bestiary, looking over the pages about phantoms for something- anything that might explain Petra's situation. Nothing, yet again. Jesse groaned and slammed it shut, just as Lukas brought over another three.

"No luck yet?" He asked. Jesse rested his forehead against the book's cover.

"Nothing yet. Lukas, this is pointless. Everything says the same thing- phantoms attack those who haven't slept in at least three days, they're classified as 'undead,' they're afraid of cats, they-"

"I get the picture." Lukas leaned against the stack of books, the light from the rising sun beaming through the glass and reflecting off his hair. "So what do we do now?"

"Go talk to everyone else, I guess." Jesse sat up and stretched. "Hopefully they'll give us more than we've got so far."

Binta was pacing in front of the hall, stopping in her tracks as Lukas and Jesse stepped outside.

"Hey! I've got some news!" Her expression told the two it was good news, at least. "Someone I know was able to point me in the direction of someone who's been through something vaguely similar to what Petra's going through. They're over in Champion City, though- left with that group." She was smiling, her enthusiasm and advice even lifting Jesse's spirit a bit.

"Binta, that's awesome!"

"Isn't it? Their name is Nathan, you'll know them by the tattoo on their arm- trust me when I say you'll know them when you see them."

Lukas smiled. "Thanks, Binta, means a lot."

"Of course." She clasped her hands behind her back. "Be sure to tell them all I said 'hi' when you see them- Stella too, if you run into her."

"Will-do. Thanks again, Binta." Jesse waved, already starting off towards Champion City. Lukas caught up, smiling at his friend.

"Hey, maybe we can get this taken care of sooner than we worried." He said, bumping Jesse's shoulder. Jesse chuckled, shaking his head.

"Nah, it's never that easy, but at least we've got a lead."

"Isn't that the truth."

The pair found themselves at the gates, still under reconstruction, but better than off than they had been a few days ago. Stella must've had a big crew on hand- whatever survivors were left all working hard to fix their city. It really was their city now, Jesse thought, looking about at the small, clashing builds that had sprouted up. Seemed Stella was taking a page from Beacontown's book and letting people build more freely. It was nice, if not just a little sad to see the carefully maintained aesthetic go.

"Man, this place is looking better already." Lukas whistled, hands on his hips. "They've been doing a good job putting it all back together."

"I would hope so." A familiar female voice said, and just up ahead was the source- Stella, Luna just behind her. The city's founder was smiling wide, gloved hands folded in front of her. "They've all been working near non-stop to get this all done. They've still got a long way to go though." She tucked a strand of her long hair behind her ear. "So, my rival, what brings you over?" Her time was light, not at all serious in the rivalry anymore, the joke sticking around.

"Oh not much, just trying to make sure Beacontown is keeping itself in one piece." Jesse replied, shaking his head and laughing under his breath. Lluna bleated and rushed forward, headbutting his chest. Jesse rubbed her behind the ears, not noticing the fond look Lukas was giving him.

"No, but really, how have thing been Jesse? Any issues?" Stella quirked an eyebrow, resting a hand on her hip.

Jesse sighed, smile slipping. "Well, yeah. We've got an issue- Petra's come back, injured more than anyone I've ever seen, by phantoms supposedly, and we've got the sneaking suspicion it's a bit more than that." Lukas nodded in confirmation.

Stella blinked, concern slipping over her features. "Goodness, that does sound bad. But what brought you here? Do you need me to help?"

Jesse shook his head. "Not much you, or any of us, can do right now. However... Binta said someone who'd moved here with the Fredfolk night know something. Someone named Nathan?"

"Oh, I know them." Stella huffed. "They're a bit weird, Jesse, but if you need to talk to them..."

"What sort of weird?" Lukas asked, and Stella seemed almost startled, like she hadn't noticed he was there until he'd spoken.

Stella shifted, crossing her arms. "Just... weird. They ramble, they keep planting mushrooms, and I have never seen them outside at night."

Lukas and Jesse exchanged a worried look, a silent That's not how Petra will be if this keeps up, right?

"Thanks for the warning, Stella, but we really need to talk to them." Jesse said, voice conveying the urgency.

Stella sighed. "If you're so sure it's important. You can find them on the edge of town- their house is one of those giant mushrooms, they turned it into a little shack." Lluna shook, nuzzling Jesse's hand, before scampering back to her owner's side. "Good luck, Jesse. Don't be afraid to ask your dear rival for help, okay?"

"I won't. Thanks again, Stella."

Nathan's shack was tiny, and absolutely surrounded by mushrooms- the glowing sort they'd found underground. The two hadn't even needed to knock, as they found Nathan standing in their garden, digging up another plot of land for, Jesse guessed, more mushrooms. The tattoo wrapping up and about their arm was a series of detailed, blue lines, among which the shapes of phantoms hid. This was them.

As they got closer, Nathan looked up from their work, hands coated in dirt and grey eyes wide with anxiety. They stood, dusting their hands on their messy shirt, and took a cautious step back.

"Hello?" Their voice was shaky, just what you'd expect from someone who looked like they might make a run for it if either Jesse or Lukas made any sudden movements.

"Hey, you're Nathan, right?" Lukas asked, keeping his voice quiet. "We're from Beacontown- this is Jesse, he helped bring you guys up here?" The writer looked over to the man in question and smiled, "We just wanted to ask a couple questions, if that's okay."

Nathan shifted, eyes moving between the two, before they took a deep breath. "Okay. Okay, what do you want to ask about?"

Jesse stepped forward, brushing his hand against Lukas's to let him know he could take it from here, mostly. "One of our friends is very hurt, and a few people told us it might be phantoms."

Nathan tensed, immediately looking to the clear skies above. "Phantoms? What kind of phantoms? Just regular phantoms? Nothing weird- right? If they burn in the sunlight they're normal phantoms. Maybe get a cat- did you know phantoms are afraid of cats? I-"

"We aren't really sure." Jesse cut them off, and they met his eyes for a moment. "We're pretty sure they're not normal, we were told you would know something about unusual phantoms? Phantoms that don't burn in the sunlight?"

Nathan shook their head, frantic. "No- No not above ground. That means she knows about this place- I can't- not again-" They were hyperventilating, shivering from head to toe. Jesse sent Lukas a worried look.

"Nathan, you're okay. Breathe." Lukas whispered, raising his hands then lowering them, mimicking the action he needed the stranger to copy. Nathan made a strangled sound.

"You don't understand- these- these Waking Phantoms, they don't give up on a target until either they're dead or they're called off." Nathan grabbed Lukas's arm, gripping tight. "You need to keep your friend inside- you need to keep everyone inside and away from windows."

Lukas had to keep his own breathing steady. "Why? Who's that 'she' you mentioned?"

Nathan just shook their head again, releasing Lukas's arm and stepping back, stumbling against their house. "You need to go. Good luck." They threw their door open and slammed it behind them, whimpering and shuddering.

Jesse and Lukas both exhaled breaths they hadn't realized they'd been holding.

"Well."

"That was ominous."

Lukas and Jesse headed back to Beacontown after that, considering possibilities.

"So, the Waking Phantoms, they're definitely not normal phantoms." Lukas scribbled in his journal, looking over to Jesse.

"Definitely not normal." Jesse confirmed. "And what's with that 'she?' Do they have some sort of, I don't know, leader? A person?"

Lukas hummed, jotting that down. "I'd bet person, phantoms are genderless."

"Makes sense. But phantoms are hostile mobs- people shouldn't be able to get close to them without them attacking, right?" Jesse watched a cloud drift across the sky.

"I guess if this is a new breed of phantom, that might be different."

"I guess."

There was a moment of pause.

"Lukas, I think we might have to go underground again. That's where the phantoms came from, if Nathan is any sign of it."

"I'd really rather not after everything you guys told me about that place." Lukas shook his head.

"It's better now, I've heard. Xara and Romeo have been fixing it up, just like we all have with our homes."

"Still, I'm not sure if it's a good idea, Jesse."

"It's our only idea, though."


	2. Chapter 2

Jesse dug through the chest, picking up swords and putting them back, each gleaming with some enchantment or another. Part of him bitterly missed his old one- enchanted beyond belief and diamond and reliable, and now in the hands of some Underground scavengers. He sighed, settling for a mildly enchanted diamond he'd been working on on-and-off for the past week.

Lukas and Radar pushed the door open, swapping a quick goodbye before Lukas crossed the room to stand near Jesse as he stood again.

"You almost ready?"

"Almost." Jesse shrugged, weighing the new blade. "I need to grab some armor, then we should be good."

"If you're going to spend more than ten minutes deciding, I'm going to pick for you." Lukas joked. "And my vote's on the Golden Goliath."

"I'll just use that one then." Jesse chuckled, hitting the button to bring the armors up on display and grabbing the orange set Lukas had suggested, wrestling with the fasten for a moment before managing to get it on.

"How do I look?" Jesse struck a pose, and Lukas chuckled.

"You look good. Ready to go?" Lukas was smiling, and while it may have been a joke, Jesse almost felt bashful for a moment, shaking it in favor of stepping back down from the armor displays and bumping his friend's shoulder.

"Come on, let's check in on Petra before we go."

"Sounds good."

Petra was laying in bed, staring blearily at the ceiling, looking a little less out of it, but not entirely back. She turned to face them as they entered, offering a weak smile, that turned into a grimace as she readjusted herself.

"Jesse, hey."

"Hey Petra, you doing alright?" Jesse sat on the edge of the bed, Lukas standing near. Petra flinched again as she moved her leg a bit.

"Not great, actually. I feel like I was tossed down a canyon, or maybe bodied by the Enderdragon."

Lukas winced in sympathy. "You got kinda chewed up."

"No kidding. Phantoms are bad enough, imagine my surprise when they didn't go away with the sunrise." Petra bumped Jesse gently, and Jesse took the hint to help her into a sitting position. "So, I figure you two have been trying to figure this out already, huh?" Her tone was teasing despite the strain.

Jesse forced a chuckle. "Yeah, we've been trying to puzzle it all together."

"Any luck?"

"A little." Lukas hummed, pulling his journal out of his satchel and flipping it open to the more recent pages. "There's another person who's kinda gone through what you have- though I'm thinking on a different level seeing as how they were..."

"Weird." Jesse finished the sentence, picking up from there. "Their name is Nathan, they're from the Underground, and they mentioned something about the phantoms being from down _there_."

Petra blinked. "Makes sense I guess. We haven't seen them until now, plus, they were weird enough to be some sort of admin-created monstrosity."

"But that's the thing- I don't know if they're admin-made." Lukas flipped through his notes. "Nathan mentioned a 'she,' and the only female admin was Xara, who definitely didn't seem fond of messing with mobs. That was Romeo's thing."

Petra's face scrunched in thought, nose wrinkling. "Huh, weird. So who do you think it is?"

"No clue." Jesse sighed.

The door opened, interrupting the three talking, and in stepped Radar.

"Jesse? Sir, you've got another letter- oh, you're probably busy. Sorry. It's just-"

"Radar, it's alright." Jesse smiled, making a placating gesture with a hand. "What's up with the letter?"

Radar frowned, anxious tension in his shoulders. "It's from that W.P. person again. It's, uh, kind of threatening."

"W.P?" Petra asked, "Like, White Pumpkin?"

"Who?"

"Don't worry about it Radar." Jesse said, taking the letter. "I'll give it a read."

Radar looked between the three, sighed, and stepped back outside.

"So, Cassie Rose is back at it?"

"Supposedly. She hasn't _done_ anything yet, just send letters. Like this one." Jesse opened the envelope, scanning the words, freezing at one line.

"What is it?" Lukas was immediately alert, hand on Jesse's shoulder.

"Lukas, am I seeing things, or does that say 'phantoms?'"

Petra swore, reaching for the letter and snagging it from the leader, reading it quickly.

"Cassie's got a buddy? A buddy with _phantoms?"_ She was gritting her teeth. "So killing innocent people by hand or by trap wasn't enough for her- she decided to get herself an accomplice."

Lukas bit his lip, "Why is she sending letters giving away part of her plan?"

"Either for dramatics or some sort of trap." Jesse answered, taking the letter back. "At least we've got confirmation of one thing- we've absolutely got to go Underground."

The portal to the Underground was easy enough to find, now, having been how those from the Underground had been moving their stuff from one place to another, but Jesse hadn't been since... since then. He wasn't exactly excited to go back, the mutant mobs and fiery landscape a nightmare, but, at the very least, he'd heard Xara's hometown had been rebuilt, with the help of Romeo, who'd been doing anything that was asked of him in a sad attempt to make up for everything.

Lukas and Jesse stood in front of the portal, its swirling color and otherworldly sound bringing back memories of the Terminal hall.

"Ready?" Lukas asked.

"Ready." Jesse said, not sounding ready. Lukas smiled at him, and took his hand. Jesse breathed in, then out. "Okay, ready. For real."

Lukas have his hand a squeeze. "Let's go."

Traveling by portal was always a bit disorienting, like using Ender Pearls to teleport. It twists and throws and spits the traveler out in some location.

Jesse would never get quite used to it, he thought, as he stumbled out onto the ground of the Underground and into some place familiar, yet different. Completely different. Citizens of Xara's home, the Oasis, stopped, looking to the portal as Lukas came through and bumped into Jesse's back.

And there was Xara, standing among a group, pointing to buildings and giving orders, stopping only as she noticed the outsiders. She looked different too, better already, much more well-rested and well-dressed, looking like her old self from the portraits.

"Hey, Xara." Jesse waved, Lukas awkwardly mimicking him. The ex-admin pushed the crowd aside to step through, quickly crossing over to the two of them in long strides.

"Jesse? I didn't think I'd be seeing you down here again." She sounded happy, relative to her usual tone of mild anger. Romeo followed behind, keeping distance and refusing eye contact with anyone.

Lukas glared around Xara at the other, who shrunk back further.

Jesse cleared his throat. "Yeah, I didn't expect to be back so soon either, but we've got a bit of a situation." He bumped Lukas, and the author handed him the book, still watching Romeo with bitterness. "So, Xara, I have to ask- do you know anything about phantoms?"

Surprise shone in the admin's eyes. "Oh? Why?"

"We've got something weird going on- Petra was attacked by them, but they weren't normal- didn't burn up in the light. So we asked Nathan, one of the Fredfolk, and they said they came from down here, so, who better to ask than the admins, right?" Jesse crossed his arms, ever ready to take up the role of detective.

Xara nodded, thinking it over. "We dealt with phantoms a lot down here- no one got that much sleep after we were bedrocked over."

Romeo looked guiltily at his shoes.

"But were they anything _special?"_ Lukas asked, his hand finding Jesse's again. Being here wasn't doing anything good for him- not with Romeo right there. Jesse laced their fingers together. _Stay in the moment._

"On occasion they'd be... strange. Didn't act like normal phantoms. They'd swarm, and they'd attack until they were shot down." Xara clenched her fist.

"I heard they were lead by someone outside of any of our communities." Romeo added, going silent when Xara met his eyes.

"Sounds like someone you'd like, though." Lukas growled, voice icy. Jesse sighed. They didn't have time to argue right now- he'd definitely be talking to Lukas later, though. There was something that he must've skipped over when he was telling Jesse what Romeo had done, judging by how personal the anger felt.

"So, Xara, what else can you tell me about the phantoms?"

"Not much, sadly, just that their creator and leader is somewhere down here. And, if they're making it to the Surface, they probably have access to a portal."

Lukas took mental note of that- they hadn't even considered that possibility.

Jesse huffed. "Guess we'd better get looking around, then, huh?"

"Guess so." Xara nodded. "Before you go, feel free to check in to any of the shops- most are still setting up, but any profit is better than none to us."

"Thanks Xara." Jesse tugged Lukas's hand, "Let's get going."

Lukas let himself be pulled along, both ignoring Romeo's quiet wave goodbye.

As soon as there was some distance between the ex-admins and the heroes, Jesse turned to look Lukas in the eyes, not releasing his hand.

"Okay, what was that?"

"What?" Lukas crossed his free arm, tense.

"I know you hate Romeo, we all do, but you were being... unusually aggressive." Jesse's expression read both questioning and concerned, brow drawn together.

"It's nothing, okay."

"It's something- and it's clearly something important to you. Lukas, I want to help but I can't unless you tell me what happened between you two." Jesse held Lukas's hand with both of his now, pleading with him to talk the issue through.

Lukas looked between their clasped hands and Jesse's face, mouth twisting into a tight-lipped frown that crinkled his eyes. "Jesse, I really don't think this is the time. But, I promise, I'll tell you later, okay?"

Jesse sighed, knowing he had a point. As much as he wanted to find out now, they were here for a mission, and feelings and histories could be discussed back home- should be discussed back home, where they were both safe and comfortable. "Later for sure. I'm not going to let you forget."

"I know."

Jesse lightened his grip, moving to pull his hands away, only for Lukas to keep hold on one of them.

"Let's just get going- we've got to track down the Phantom Tamer." Jesse said, not acknowledging their still-laced fingers or the tightness in his chest at the thought of Lukas hurting.

Traversing the Underground has never been easy, but it was easier now than it had been before, with glowstone trails from one city to another, most leading nowhere after a short while away from the Oasis, the citizens having apparently realized the other admin's peoples were either dead or moved out, leaving no point in continuing to mark the way to empty homes.

The monsters were still a bit of an issue, but Lukas was quick on the draw of an arrow, and Jesse had his sword to take care of closer threats. The pair carved their way through the Underground, eyes to the skies for any hint of a Phantom.

When they weren't fighting mobs, Lukas was writing, jotting down their story to finalize later. Jesse hadn't ever actually gotten to hold one of his journals, or read the rough versions, but he assumed they were just passing thoughts or observations.

Maybe he should ask to read one as-is sometime.

The Underground was quiet aside from the crackling of fire, or the groaning of monsters. It was easy for the two of them to fall into their thoughts, but too much silence for too long was getting boring.

"So, what would you rather fight: an enderman made up of thousands of tinier endermen, or a creeper with enough sentience to ask you your thoughts on the nature of the universe?" Jesse asked, kicking a pebble as they continued on, still nothing of value coming from the endeavour.

"What- I guess the creeper?" Lukas laughed, confused, "At least then I could get him to stop making me question existence."

"Do you think the world is flat? Why do compasses point to the holder's bed? How many zombies does it take to screw in a lightbulb?" Jesse mimicked about what a talking creeper may sound like, dragging the S sounds of the words in hisses, before descending into giggles, the tiredness of walking getting to him. Lukas wasn't far behind, and soon enough the two were leaning on one another, laughing and, with strained voices, each doing their own impressions.

It was a good feeling, to be laughing together, despite the situation they were in. Some part of Jesse missed when it was always like this- when he and his friends had just their treehouse and builds to worry about, before it was time to step up to some greater role. But that didn't matter now, because this moment was enough.

Jesse didn't know when or how it'd happened, but at some point, he and Lukas's arms had become wrapped around one another as they travelled on, still in good humor, in odd comfort despite the hellscape about them.

They'd paused for a bit, setting up camp (if a small fire and a small meal counted as camp). Lukas had brought bread, luckily, and Jesse had brought some cooked salmon, not much, but better than nothing. Neither of them were likely to sleep, but it'd be worth a try.

The two of them stared up at the bedrock above them, silently missing the stars. It was no wonder the Undergrounders had become so chaotic and unhappy down here, Lukas thought, it really felt like something was missing without the moon in the sky.

Jesse had managed to doze off at some point, leaning again Lukas's shoulder, breathing softly, leaving Lukas to his thinking, to his remembering. He knew Jesse wasn't going to drop the Admin issue forever- he'd be asking about it again, wanting to know what had gotten the author so worked up, and honestly? Lukas wanted nothing more than for that to never be brought up again.

Romeo had been cruel to everyone, playing the role of Jesse and turning Beacontown into a nightmare where everyone had to follow his godly whims to perfection, or face banishment to the prison.

But he'd been too cruel to Lukas- maybe it was selfish to think so, probably was, but he couldn't help feel that was the case. Sure, Olivia and Axel had been strung along by someone wearing their best friend's face, but that was the thing- they'd been strung along by their _friend._ Lukas had been strung along by the only person who counted as more significant than a friend- more than even just a silly crush.

Maybe it was too much to say, but after years of adventuring, of being near the hero? At some point, Lukas had fallen in love.

And Romeo had figured that out, easily- far too easily. It'd made him an easy target for manipulation, and at first? At first it'd been a dream.

Jesse had come back, alive and well, though alone, and told him they were close behind, just finishing up some small task, they'd be back soon, no reason to worry, and he'd showered Lukas with kind words, talk of how much it meant to have his friendship, how he felt good knowing there was someone who'd do anything for him. He'd talked Lukas into a corner, and Lukas had talked himself further into it. Easy to get a confession like that when you play your cards right, Romeo had known exactly how to do that.

If he'd been any better at it, Lukas would've continued to believe him, but there was enough off- something in the way he moved, in his voice, in the way his eyes shifted like everything was unfamiliar- it wasn't Jesse, not anymore.

It was easy to believe such powers could corrupt, but seeing who he thought was Jesse like that…

Lukas's heart clenched and he blinked back tears.

It was just tiredness getting him emotional.

Jesse stirred next to him, mumbling something, and Lukas was jolted back into the present. This was real- this was really Jesse, and this Jesse really knew who he was, and he really cared about him, as a friend or otherwise, it didn't matter. This was Jesse.

Lukas breathed deep, trying to calm himself-

And, of course, that's when the piercing screech of a phantom echoed overhead. Jesse woke, quickly blinking away sleep and sitting up.

"Was that?"

"Phantom, yeah." Lukas's voice gave away his emotions, and he coughed to clear the tightness, ignoring the worried look his friend gave him.

"Lukas are you-"

"I'm fine, don't worry. We've got to get going, that's the first sign of one of those creeps we've had."

Jesse fixed Lukas with another look, concerned and caring and so completely Jesse that Lukas's heart again felt the pressure of that time spent with the Admin. He shook the feeling in favor of smiling at the other, before slinging his bow and quiver back over his shoulder and nodding in the direction the sound came from.

"Let's go."

Then there was that hand on his again, and Lukas stilled, looking back over his shoulder. "Something wrong?"

Jesse frowned, deep worry lines from years of adventure only more evident this close. "Yeah, actually. You keep clamming up and hiding things- I don't need you to spill your guts here, but at least tell me why you were crying?"

Lukas hummed, looking back towards where the phantom's scream had come from. "Jesse, we don't have time."

"Lukas." Jesse was begging, pulling the puppy dog eyes (a last resort). "I just want to help you."

Lukas sighed, eyes downcast. "Look, it's... complicated. Romeo did some stuff, it hurt me and everyone else, and I'm not over it yet. That's all."

Jesse was quiet. "What kind of stuff?"

"Jesse, can I just tell you later?" Lukas was pleading now, an echoing phantom cry coming again from just a bit aways.

Jesse let go of his hand, nodding slow. "Okay." He seemed nervous still, but at least he'd dropped it, and they could focus again.

The presence of phantoms became more evident as they walked, as they got further from the warm lands the admins had claimed. Ice covered the ground, frosty and crunchy underfoot. That's when the spikes started- large, jutting spires of ice pointing to bedrock skies.

The two heroes walked close together, Lukas sharing his jacket with Jesse in an attempt to keep warm, so different than just moments ago where they were overheating. The dark above clashed with the white below, an eerie scene made only eerier by the ever more frequent cries of the undead beasts.

Then they reached a mountain- a lone figure of stone and ice among the spikes, phantoms circling its highest peak.

Jesse exhaled, his breath a puff in front of his face. "This is the place."

The mountain had clearly been hollowed, tall, icy panes as windows into the inside revealed carpeted rooms filled with chests and bookshelves and perches, where phantoms hung and climbed. Jesse was absolutely right.


	3. Chapter 3

Lukas shuddered. "Whoever designed this place really nailed the 'evil lair' vibe, huh?"

"Absolutely- creepy beyond belief."

The two ducked under one of the windows, peering through to get a better view. Aside from the decor and the phantoms, it was empty.

"Want to sneak in?" Lukas asked, looking to Jesse.

"Not yet, not with all those phantoms. We'd be dead before we got anywhere." Jesse shook his head.

Lukas clicked his tongue, "Fair point. So what's the-"

"Get down." Jesse grabbed Lukas by the back of his jacket and pulled him out of sight below the pane as a person entered the room inside. Careful, Jesse lifted himself just barely to peek in.

The woman currently holding a phantom was sharp looking, with grey-white eyes like every other Undergrounder and short grey hair, braids scattered through the bob-cut. The edges of the scarves tied about her waist dragged the ground, giving her a near-ghostly appearance as she walked.

That had to be the phantom tamer, judging by how she handled the creatures, who flitted to her shoulders like parrots.

"Is there someone in there?" Lukas whispered, quietly cursing when Jesse nodded. "Just when you think something might go easy."

"It never goes easy."

The woman turned to face her doorway, speaking to someone just out of sight, though if Jesse were to guess...

"White Pumpkin's here too." He hissed, ducking down again.

"Of course." Lukas huffed. "So, what's the plan, Jesse?"

Jesse crossed his arms, milling through options. Nothing good seemed to come to mind, so something stupid and reckless would have to do.

"Lukas, we're sneaking in."

"But you said-"

"We don't really have any other choice."

Lukas hummed in reluctant agreement.

Jesse looked through the window one more time, making sure the two women were still-

"They're gone!" Jesse was immediately on alert, the screech of a phantom the only warning before a swarm was upon them.

Lukas had his bow ready, nailing one in the wing with an arrow, knocking it out of the air and into another on its way down. Jesse drew his sword, stepping between Lukas and the swarm, taking wide swings of the blade to keep them at bay as best he could.

A whistle sounded, and the swarm dispersed, flying back to the side of the woman who'd tamed them, Cassie Rose standing near, eyes narrowed and filled with hate.

_ "You-"_ Cassie went to step forward, when the other woman rested her hand on her shoulder. "Aoife, they're the ones who trapped me there- I-"

The tamer, Aoife, furrowed her brow, but still didn't send another wave to attack. "Cassie, wait. They might be, but let's at least give them a chance to tell us why they're here." Her soft voice carried well over the icy landscape, the echo making her sound all the more intimidating.

Jesse shifted his sword in his hand, keeping the weight balanced in his palm, at the ready. "I'm Jesse, I'm sure Cassie here told you about me."

"She did." Aoife replied, resting her hand on the head of the phantom perched on her arm.

"Well, did she mention all the _murders_ she's committed?" Jesse had to try and sway this stranger to _not_ attacking him or Lukas.

"She did." Aoife repeated. "And I can't blame her- trapped for so long." That wasn't great, neither was the step she took forward, phantoms on either side. "You wouldn't know how that feels though, you're from the _surface_."

Lukas rested his hand against Jesse's back. "Jesse, we've got to go."

"We've made it this far-"

"We won't win here. There's too many phantoms."

Lukas had a point, and Jesse knew he was right, but, there she was right in front of them- the cause of this mission in the first place.

Aoife's carefully watching eyes had seen the whole interaction, but she hadn't taken another move. Cassie fidgeted beside her, as if desperate for a fight.

A moment longer, and Jesse turned, making a break for it, Lukas on his heels. A sharp whistle sounded, and the phantoms launched into motion, batlike wings beating hard to overtake the two. The sound of teeth against armor, screams from both beast and hero, and desperate footsteps filled the air, only directed and interrupted by the whistle-signals Aoife gave.

The sound of hoofbeats, though, was new.

Xara, mounted on a large horse, blade in hand, burst onto the scene, standing between the heroes and the phantoms. A long swipe knocked many aside- the blade must've been _incredibly_ enchanted- and in the moment they had before the next group got close, Xara had hopped off her horse, convinced a flustered Lukas and Jesse to get on, and gone back to fighting before either of them had proper time to process the situation in full. Lukas spurred the horse on, taking off at a breakneck pace, Jesse begging to go back and help, Lukas refusing for their sakes.

"Xara will be fine- she knows what she's doing." Lukas shouted over his shoulder.

"She needs our _help,_ Lukas!" Jesse dug his hands into Lukas's jacket, arms around his waist. "Her people can't lose her!"

"And they won't! Xara's going to be okay."

Jesse made an exasperated noise, burying his face in the other's jacket.

"Jesse, I promise, we'll go back for her as soon as we can. Aoife didn't seem as murder-happy as Cassie, and Cassie _listened_ to her. Xara will be okay- if anyone is in danger, it's us." Lukas hissed a breath through grit teeth. "Us or Romeo."

"Romeo?" Jesse lifted his face, just enough to speak.

"You heard her- she's upset about being trapped underground, she's got a grudge against Romeo like everyone else down here." Lukas made a really good point. Romeo has been the one to bedrock over everything, it'd make sense for Aoife to hate him most of all.

"So she hates him for the whole 'bedrock' thing, and hates us because we're from above." Jesse mumbled, thinking.

"Seems like it." He replied, spurring the horse to go faster if it could, the Oasis still too far away for comfort. "So, what do we do?" Lukas had an idea, but he wanted to hear Jesse's thoughts first- he was leader for a reason, after all.

Jesse shifted hold on Lukas, sitting up just a bit to speak into his friend's ear directly, hoping to be heard over the wind rushing past. "I think we should get reinforcements and go back, and _soon_. Aoife might not be a killer, but we don't exactly know what we're up against when it comes to her. You think we could convince someone to go with us? Maybe find the Old Order members?"

Lukas had to take a moment to catch his breath as Jesse's breath ghosted over his ear. _Not the time. _"I'm not sure. We haven't heard from Ivor in a while, and I don't know how willing the citizens of Xara's town will be to leave the place they just got back to."

Jesse swore quietly. "You're right." A beat. "Well, we'll figure it out."

"We will."

The Oasis's silhouette appeared in the distance, living up to its name in the burning landscape. The hooves of the horse hit the cobblestone path, and citizens looked up, expecting Xara.

Jesse could hardly stomach the fright on their faces as they realized their leader hadn't come back. Lukas rested his hand on Jesse's shoulder, guiding him through the crowd as they pressed closer, each part of the small population asking question after question.

"Hey, back up, give us some space." Lukas's voice cut through the noise, and Jesse managed a breath.

Jesse chimed in, feeling as though he owed them an explanation, a promise- "Xara saved our lives back there- and we won't stop trying to go back for her until we succeed."

"Is she okay?" Asked a woman, clutching her hands over her chest.

Jesse hesitated for a moment, and in the second he did the crowd began its frantic, worried chatter again.

"What happened?"

"Is it monsters?"

"Why did you leave her?"

_ "ENOUGH."_ A shout came from the back of the group, and the citizens parted, looking with varied levels of fear and anger at the source.

Romeo shrunk back under the glares, eyes focused on Lukas and Jesse. The ex-admin inhaled, stood up straight, and marched up the cleared path through the now-silent people to stand in front of the two, eyes concerned but stern.

"Xara was captured?" He spoke with all the authority of a god.

"She was." Lukas's hand on Jesse's shoulder tightened, and, without hesitation, Jesse reach up and rested his own overtop the author's.

"We didn't have a choice, she wasn't going to let us stay behind to help her fight-"

"I know." Romeo's tone softened. "That's just like her." He coughed, screwing up his nose, then loosening again. "Look. I know you don't like me."

"I don't." Lukas's hard-edged time emphasizes that point clearly.

"And that's fair. I've been... I've been a monster. No matter how long I try to keep fixing everything I've done, it'll never be enough, but give me a chance. Xara's all I have- she's like a sister, family, and I can't lose her."

"Like you 'lost' Fred?" The comment knocked the wind out of Romeo's lungs, his confidence crumbling, his shoulder falling.

"Look. All I'm saying is that I want to help." He spoke quietly, defeated.

"Romeo, hey." Jesse cut in. He couldn't let this go on, it wasn't helping anyone going in hateful circles. "We need any help we can get, and you know the underground better than either of us- if you want to come with, I know I'd be grateful for the extra help."

Lukas scoffed, pulling his hand away and crossing his arms, reminding himself that _Jesse didn't know_, and, in silent resentment, had to admit he had a point. Romeo was all they had for now.

"We need to stop by the Order Hall before we try again." Jesse crossed his arms, formulating a plan. "Romeo needs armor, and we need to try and contact Ivor. Maybe Binta could come, too, or- or-" He inhaled, then exhaled. "We'll think of something, but we need to _think_ before we go charging back."

Romeo nodded. "Okay. Okay that works. You don't think taking me up there is... a bad idea, though, do you?"

"Yeah, Jesse, I don't think taking him to Beacontown would be a good idea." Lukas spit the phrase, hating that he agreed. Jesse decided then that he was going to get a proper answer out of Lukas about all this yet.

"That's fair. Romeo, you'll wait here, we'll be back soon."

He nodded, offering a tight-lipped smile, before turning and, noticing the looks on the faces of the Oasis citizens, lowered his head and, hesitant, walking off to... wherever he'd been staying.

The other citizens dissipated, wishing luck or begging them to hurry, and the two heroes were alone again.

"Well."

"Back to Beacontown we go."

Neither hero noticed the silent, swooping figure of a phantom follow them through the portal.

The comparison between Beacontown and the Oasis was jarring, but welcoming. It was odd how immediately soothing it was to be somewhere familiar, somewhere home, for Jesse. Lukas, too, seemed to relax as soon as the beacons of the town were in view.

The pair hurried, having to politely shuffle past the welcome committee and dodge requests for one thing or another on their way to the New Order Hall.

The commotion that met them when they got there was a surprise. There stood two of the three remaining members of the Order- the original, that is. Ivor was talking loudly, his voice a near-shout, to Soren, who was standing directly next to him and cringing at the other's volume.

"Soren, do you know what this means?"

"Yes, I think I get it, Ivor." Soren sounded like he knew he was about to hear the exact same thing he'd been told before.

"Phantoms that don't burn in the sunlight! This is impossible- a whole new breed! The implications of it all!" Ivor's voice got louder, before dropping to a whisper that Jesse didn't quite catch as he made it up to the top step.

Soren noticed them first, tapping Ivor on the shoulder and pointing. The older man's face split into a wide grin.

"Jesse! Lukas! Hello again!"

"Hey, Ivor!" Jesse couldn't help but smile too, despite the stress of moments minutes ago, Ivor's energy infectious. Lukas chuckled, shaking his head.

"You two would not _believe_ what Soren and I encountered on our way here!"

"Phantoms that don't burn in the sunlight?" Lukas "guessed" with a lopsided smile.

"How did you know?"

"Ivor, please, you talk loud enough for all of Beacontown to hear." Soren commented, earning a look from Ivor.

"No, really, how did you know?" Ivor asked again, humor slipping from his face a little.

"Petra was attacked by some." Lukas stepped forward, pulling his journal from his pack. "I've written down everything we've found out about them so far in here."

Ivor snatched up the journal, eyeing it before looking to Lukas and very unsubtley mouthing 'This isn't going to ramble as much about Jesse as the last few, right?'

Lukas choked on air, coughing, his face going red, before he shook his head, hoping for his sake that Jesse had missed that. Ivor smiled slyly, before flipping the journal open and scanning the notes, Soren peering over his shoulder, reading parts aloud to himself.

"How peculiar!" The builder turned his attention from the book back to the heroes. "From the Underground?"

"Yep- and get this," Lukas ran a hand through his hair, "They're _tamed_."

"What?" Ivor asked, looking up. Lukas repeated his previous statement, and Ivor's eyes widened. _"Tamed?_ Bah! Impossible!"

"How else would you explain how someone was able to command them?" Jesse huffed. "And can we go inside before we talk about this more?" He glanced behind him at the slowly emptying streets. Night was falling, but all the same, he wanted to make sure no one overheard. No need to cause a panic.

"Jesse's right. Let's get inside." Lukas agreed, letting Ivor and Soren lead the way into the Hall, taking Jesse's hand as soon as their eyes were off the pair.

"So, they're lead by a woman named Aoife? And she's working with Cassie Rose?" Ivor leaned forward in his chair.

"Yep." Jesse said, using his free hand to gesture as he spoke. "She controlled them with whistles- it was really kind of horrifying honestly. Without Xara jumping in, I don't know if we would've made it out of there alive." Lukas twined their fingers together under the table.

"So, Cassie is that girl who tried to kill you three that one time, right?" Soren had to do a little more catching up to understand the whole situation, having not been there for that whole debacle.

"I was almost the one blamed for that mess." Lukas mumbled.

"But why is after you two?" Ivor asked.

"I don't think she is, really. I think it's just a matter of anyone from up here being... I don't know, privileged without knowing? Better off than she is?" Jesse frowned. "She didn't seem to want to kill us though- at least not initially."

"We don't really know much about her, honestly." Lukas added.

"Jesse? Lukas? You're back already?" Another voice- not belonging to any at the table, echoed across the room from the stairs. Petra was leanig against the wall, blinking in the low light. "And Ivor and Soren?"

"Petra!" Ivor was on his feet and across the room to catch her as she stumbled over towards the table. "Are you alright?"

"What are you doing here?" She sounded tired.

"Petra, have you been sleeping?" Lukas asked what both he and Jesse had been thinking.

"No, not really. Hard to sleep." Her voice was scratchy and dry, and she kept nearly tripping over her own feet. Ivor helped her sit, then went back to his own chair, eyeing her with worry.

"I... I think I'll fetch you some water." Soren stood, nodded to Jesse, and left the room.

"Petra you look-"

"Awful?" She interrupted Jesse, laughing through a cough. "I know. I only sound as bad as I do because I couldn't seem to get myself to go get a drink." Another laugh. "But, uh, really. Besides the whole 'I need more sleep' thing, I feel better. A lot better."

"Jesse, do you have a brewing stand? I think I can mix up a healing potion." Ivor whispered, and Lukas cut in before he could answer.

"Just down the hall a little. Here, I can help you find it." Lukas gave Jesse's hand one last, tight squeeze, before he stood and lead Ivor away.

The two remaining at the table sat in silence for a moment, before Jesse sighed.

"So, how's the whole detectiving going for you guys?" Petra asked, slouching back in her chair.

"It's, uh. It's going."

"Yeah? Whatcha find so far?"

"Well, we found the source of the phantoms. Aside from that, it's all written in there." He pointed out Lukas's journal. Petra snorted and rolled her eyes.

"Oh boy, another unedited diary entry. This'll be fun." She snatched it up and flipped through it only a moment before tossing it back. "I don't really care that much about the details."

Jesse shook his head, laughing a little. "Right. Anyways." He paused, blinking, frowning. "Anyways, we're going to go back. Xara saved us from an attack by the phantom's keeper, but she-" He shook his head again. "She's still out there- maybe a prisoner, who knows. Lukas, Romeo, and I-"

"Wait, _Romeo?_ You're really letting him tag along?"

"We don't have much of a choice, Petra. It's all-hands-on-deck. And lucky for us, Ivor decided to show up when he did." Jesse rested his hands on the table, chewing his thoughts. "Petra- this is weird, but I have to ask- do you have any idea why Lukas would hate Romeo?"

"Aside from, I don't know, _everything_ he did?"

"Right, but that's the thing- this feels way more personal."

"I wouldn't know, dude. Not like I was here for the whole thing, I was with you for most of it."

"Right." Jesse sighed. "Lukas has just been acting weird. It's got me worried."

"Hey, if you're all that worried, you could ask Nell or someone who _was_ here for Romeo's reign of terror over Beacontown." Petra leaned back, closing her eyes. "Anyways dude. I think that's kind of the least of your worries for now."

"Yeah. Thanks for the reminder." Jesse leaned into one of his hands. "Sometimes I wish my biggest worry was 'Gee, I sure do wonder why Lukas has been acting odd and holding my hand so much.' Instead I've got to worry about phantoms and murderers and whether or not I have any armor that'll fit an ex-admin."

Petra snorted. "Yeah, you've gone soft. Lost that adventuring streak?"

"Couldn't if I tried, I guess."

Ivor and Lukas came back, and after downing the potion, Petra was helped up to her room by Soren, who promised to keep an eye on here until the three returned.

Ivor, on the other hand, was nearly humming with energy.

"I cannot believe that there is someone who's found a way to tame hostile mobs! I wonder how she does it- do you think she's been breeding them to get specific traits? Or maybe she never sleeps, and just keeps all the phantoms she can until they're trained?"

Lukas rubbed his temples, leaning against the wall and Jesse stared down his sets of armor. "I don't know Ivor, and I don't think she's going to tell you if you ask."

"It would fantastic if she would, though! Imagine if such tactics could be employed on other mobs! We could tame _creepers!"_

Jesse looked each suit over carefully, tuned out of the conversation happening behind him.

"So, Lukas. Have you told him yet?"

"Told him what?" Lukas's tone turned suspicious, and he turned to look at Ivor more directly.

"Oh don't bother hiding it! You-" Lukas shushed him quickly as his volume took a leap upwards. Jesse hadn't reacted, studying the Redstone Riot closely. Always so picky about which armor to use.

"Look, Ivor. I haven't exactly had the chance, and now definitely isn't the time."

Ivor stared at Lukas with his most 'I'm not mad, just disappointed' frown (learned from Gabriel, certainly), crossing his arms. "You'd better tell him at some point, and trust me when I say better sooner than later."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. You're just cocky because Harper said yes to that date you offered."

"It's true!" Ivor beamed. "And you'd know exactly how that feels if you just _talked_ to him!" Lukas shook his head, jumping as he heard Jesse's quiet exclamation- he'd finally decided. Took him long enough, any more time and Ivor would've talked him into a corner.

Jesse settled on the Adamantine Impervium, it's black and red colors feeling like what Romeo would be least likely to oppose. He took a shield from his weapon's chest, not sure if trusting Romeo with a sword would be a good idea- plus, no harm in having someone take a shield, may as well be the guy who was used to using admin-powers over a weapon to fight, anyways. Satisfied with the choices, he made his way back over to Ivor and Lukas, feeling the tension of an awkward conversation but electing to ignore it.

"Hey, you ready to head out?" Lukas asked, offering a shaky smile and definitely not paying any attention to the raised eyebrows Ivor was giving him.

"As ready as I'll ever be, I guess. Back to the Underground, yeehaw." Jesse sounded less-than enthusiastic, raising his hand in a half-hearted cheer. "Time to go fight some phantoms."


	4. Bonus Chapter

She'd gone without sleep for as long as she could recall the sky being dark. The start of her phantom project, the start of it all.

Aoife stood at her desk, using a dropper to mix part of one potion to another- the drop hit the surface of the other liquid and hissed, the color shifting. It was peaceful in the lab, aside from the screeching of her phantoms (though, for her this was a comfort, a reminder she wasn't alone).

The flint was dipped in the potion, the steel having soaked in it for days. The empty portal a few floors down would light- she would _make it_ light again. It's been lit before, Aoife has tested it hundreds of times, but never could it seem to take her to the surface. She visited other realms, other worlds. She'd seen mesas and fire and endless oceans but _never_ had she managed to see the surface of her own. She'd know when she did. She _knew_ she would just know.

The potions were made up of every little thing, but phantom membranes and scales, oh now those were the base every time. They seemed the only thing that worked, otherworldly properties just out of her understanding but not her appreciation.

_This one_, she thought, _this one would work_.

The portal swirled green, vibrant and moving. This was it. This had to be.

One of Aoife's phantoms perched on her shoulder, hissing curiously at the light.

"This is it. This has to be it."

She stepped through, the world spun, and she held hope that she might finally see her home.

The two moons crushed any hope that this had been correct. Not her home, not her home, _not her home._ She swore, falling to her knees. Another failure.

As she always did, she took time to appreciate the open skies anyways, to walk lands she hadn't yet. It wasn't home, her heart ached. At least it was something new.

The manor's looming figure wasn't like anything she'd quite seen before, neither was the emptiness.

"Hello?" Aoife called, walking through long and silent corridors. Her phantom sniffed the edges of the doors, scuttling along the ground or gliding through still air.

A cat turned the corner up ahead, and Aoife froze. That was the first life she'd seen here, and her phantoms were far from happy about that. They gathered behind her, resting on her shoulders. The cat was, as cats often are, unswayed, only hissing before strolling off down another hall. Aoife stood for a moment more, before she followed.

The cat lead her through the mansion, the great halls and tall windows striking, before she was lead down a long stretch of ladders. The room at the bottom was filled with cats, which her own pets avoided, but the main source of interest was the sound of someone talking.

Aoife couldn't make out the words, but the voice was female, around her own age.

Aoife met Cassie Rose where she had been left, in the middle of a pit of starving endermites.

"Hello?" Aoife called, and Cassie looked up, wide-eyed and tired. Her startled expression turned to fury.

"Who are you?" She shouted.

"I could ask the same." It was curious how quickly the anger seemed to leave Cassie at that.

"You don't know me?"

"Should I?"

"I don't know." She sighed. "Look, can you get me out of this pit?"

"Perhaps."

Cassie furrowed her brow.

"Alright." Aoife whistled, her phantoms swooping close to the stranger, lifting her and bringing her up and out of the pit. She was more or less dropped on the ground, but the look of relief in her eyes showed she didn't care.

"How long have you been there?" Aoife asked.

"Too long. Way too long." Cassie sighed, brushing herself off. "How did you even get here? The portal's been dormant- it burned out."

"I have my own portal."

Cassie's eyes widened, and she smiled a shaky, nervous smile. "You have your own portal? And it works- it leads out of this realm?"

Aoife nodded.

"No way… no freakin' way. You can get me out of here!" She made a move to grab Aoife's shoulders, but she stepped back. Cassie seemed to deflate a bit. "You _will _get me out of here, right?"

"Who are you?" Aoife asked. Business before deciding.

The history of Cassie Rose was complicated. Abandoned by the Old Builders, a group to which she was the youngest, in a realm she was given dominion over. An entirely empty realm.

They'd left her for dead, Hadrian seeing her the weakest link.

Aoife had to disagree, if the descriptions of the others were accurate. Cassie was the strongest of them- the best of them.

The murders, the attempted murders- none of that mattered. Aoife wasn't innocent. Her phantoms had killed, hurt, and traumatized the underground in her attempts to perfect them, her attempts to find a way to escape. Was Cassie really any different?

The white pumpkins of her realm were unique, a startling variation of the usual. She wasn't surprised that she insisted on bringing a stack of them, and who was Aoife to argue with a new ingredient to test.

The cats, however, were where Aoife put her foot down.

"One of them."

"But- Aoife they _need_ me."

"They've made it this long. Take…"

"Winslow. I'll take Winslow."

Cats and phantoms didn't mix well, it took time to get them used to one another- though when they did, it seemed the arrangement would work fine.

Moving Cassie Rose into her home was a change of pace. The company was nice, and despite being a little… awkward, Aoife managed to keep conversation.

They understood each other. Being trapped for so long decayed the spirit, rotted the heart. Both wanted something more, and now they would work together.

Aoife couldn't quite pinpoint when she'd become so attached to Cassie, yet it had happened. Never one for people, one person had gotten to her.

Aoife stood, working at her desk, as Cassie Rose paced behind her, peeking over her shoulder on occasion. Her cat laid on the shelf closest to the desk, curled up with one of the phantoms.

"Aoife?" Cassie's pacing stopped suddenly.

"Hm?"

"Have you… have you ever- nevermind, it's nothing."

Aoife turned to look, not putting down the glass bottle or the potion in either hand. "Cassie, what is it?"

"It's just." Cassie wasn't looking at her, her hands clasped behind her back fidgeting. "Aoife, I really, _really _appreciate you saving me from that realm. And letting me live here. And letting me keep you company." She was nervous, very much so. "I just want to say I- I care about you."

Aoife's heart was in her throat. "And I care for you."

"Yeah?"

"Quite a lot."

"Oh. Me too."

The air was tense. Neither spoke.

"Well, I'm going to go check on my pumpkins." Cassie's voice was sharp at its edges, unsure of what else to say.

"Okay. That's good."

"Might make pie."

"Delightful."

"Good."

It wasn't spoken about again for a while, and when it finally was, both came to a discovery- mutual pining was painful and embarrassing, but emotions moreso. Perhaps this was the start of something wonderful for them.

When it came time to test the portal again, Cassie was there. The white pumpkin had been a test to work with, but, hopefully, this would be it.

When it was, Aoife cried.

Cassie insisted on sending a letter to someone on the surface. The person responsible for trapping her the second time, the person who'd cursed her to an eternity over endermites.

Aoife had her phantom deliver it.

And oh, her phantoms. She sent flights through the portal from time to time, surveying the land.

The bitterness in her heart solidified. It was unfair, so unfair. This new world was so like the old, the people above so _lucky _to be above. Their cities touched the sky, the sun shone down on them. And they hadn't a clue how lucky they were.

When she sent her first attack into their world, she sent the most perfect of her phantoms for the kill.

She'd show them how it felt to feel trapped, to fear, to never sleep soundly.

She'd see the surface once more.


	5. Chapter 4

Never had Jesse thought he'd have assembled a more ragtag team than he had before, but here he was, standing outside the portal in the Underground, Ivor on one side, Lukas on the other, and Romeo just a few feet in front of him, sitting on a block of iron and staring down at his own feet.

"Hey again, Romeo." Jesse called, stepping down the short stairs and onto the cobblestone around them. "We're back."

Lukas and Ivor held back a little as their leader approached the other, Ivor watching as Lukas's expression seemed to instinctually tense.

Romeo jumped to his feet, shuffling awkwardly from foot to foot in place. "Jesse. Welcome back."

"I got you some armor," Jesse handed over the set, watching as Romeo held it carefully, studying it and humming in appreciation at the handiwork, "And a shield." The shield received a less appreciative response, but hey, beggars can't be choosers. "We needed someone to defend and-"

Romeo immediately looked up from the borrowed goods, shaking his head. "No, it's okay. I understand. Let me just..." He gestured to the small house behind him, "Go in and put this all on." Jesse nodded, and Romeo took that as his queue to go ahead.

With the ex-admin gone, the other two made their way over to stand by Jesse.

"So!" Ivor clapped his hands. "After he's back, we'll be on our way?"

"That's the plan, yeah." Jesse shrugged. "Why, forget something back home?"

"No, no! Just excited to get going!" The older man was smiling way too wide for someone on a rescue mission.

"Well, remember, this isn't just some fun treasure hunting. We're going to rescue Xara, take down Aoife and Cassie, and then be done with it." Lukas huffed.

"But certainly we can take time to study the phantoms? Aoife might be evil, but her work has so much value..." Ivor seemed to be pleading.

"Sorry, Ivor. Priorities. Maybe Aoife's got some journals or something you can snatch on our way out." Jesse laughed.

Romeo rejoined the group a short moment after, shield equipped over one arm, armor fitting well enough. No one but Jesse acknowledged him as he slipped in behind the three.

The walk out of town was slowed only by the citizens of the Oasis wishing them luck, safe travels, and even safer returns.

The walk there felt longer with a bigger party, especially with Ivor's near-constant comments about the world around them.

"Jesse! Did you see that?"

"Yes, Ivor. You've been here before."  
"Not quite like this! You're only unimpressed because you had time to see it all last time."

His enthusiasm was both an annoyance and a familiar comfort in the monster-infested landscape. Romeo did his best to serve as their guide, knowing the Underground better than any of the rest of them, and as much as Lukas hated to admit it, he was a help. His knowledge of the landscape, the monsters most commonly found where, and the least dangerous places to rest were incredibly appreciated.

Though his presence itself wasn't as much. Romeo had been quiet unless he'd had something important to say, moping towards the back of the group, shying away from eye contact. It was bizarre how different he was.

It was unnerving, it made Lukas's skin crawl.

They paused to rest when they all agreed it was time, the distance too much to cover all at once.

They'd brought more food this time, knowing how much was needed to feed four in comparison to two, and, honestly, despite the darkness around the small party, the mood was lighter than it had any right to be.

Ivor told tales of some of the Old Order's adventures, some true and some false- figuring out which was what turning into quite a game between Jesse and Lukas, who whispered to one another what they thought.

"We conquered the tallest mountain, and Soren built a grand hall on it's peak-"

"True." Jesse whispered.

"We explored an undersea temple, filled with giant guardians that exploded -"

"Fake." Lukas murmured.

The two heroes leaned into each other's sides, hands locked together, shoulders brushing. The peace of the moment was warm and cozy, the game an excuse to be close. Lukas only hoped Jesse was enjoying the proximity as much as he was.

When Lukas met Romeo's watching eyes from across the fire, the moment broke. Lukas went rigid, staring back until the admin looked away- the damage was done, though, and, maybe it was how tired he was, maybe it was the bitterness, but something in Lukas snapped. He stood, suddenly, scaring poor Jesse half to death.

"Lukas?" Jesse's voice was confused, and his expression matched. Ivor, too, looked startled.

Romeo, on the other hand, did not, scrambling to his feet to move away as Lukas stormed over.

"Lukas- wait-" Romeo held his hands up in defense, cowering. Something about that only made Lukas angrier.

"We need to talk." The author gripped Romeo by the arm, pulling him away from the glow of the fire. Jesse stood to follow, only to be stopped by Ivor, who gave him a pitying glance and shook his head. This was something that needed to happen.

Quite a distance away, Lukas finally, roughly, let go of Romeo, who immediately took a cautious step away.

"Lukas." His voice was shaking, but not uncertain. He knew what this was about. "I'm sorry-"

"Shut up." Lukas's words were like poison. "Just shut up and listen."

The air was heavy.

"You don't get to act innocent. You don't get to even act like you didn't do anything to me around him . You manipulated me- you manipulated everyone and yet Jesse has given you a second chance. Well I haven't."

Romeo turned his face to the ground.

"You know how I feel about Jesse. You took advantage of that just to get your way. 'Oh Lukas, it's me, Jesse!'" Lukas mocked the exact tone he'd heard too many times during the admin's reign. "'You know I would never do that! 'Lukas, don't you love me?' 'Won't you stop them from talking about me that way?'" He was rambling now, voice cracking with emotion. He stopped an inch away from Romeo's face, only then noticing he'd been towering over the other. "So, Romeo , you don't get to act innocent. You didn't deserve to be saved." With that, Lukas moved back, turning to look away from the man who'd tormented him, held his feelings over his head, made him ignore how his friends and hapless citizens were being treated until he couldn't stand it, until he decided it wasn't his Jesse behind those eyes anymore.

Neither spoke for a moment.

Romeo heaved a breath. "Lukas." His voice sounded as broken and torn as the author's. "Lukas, I know. I shouldn't have been saved- Jesse should've left me to die."

Lukas spun around. "Oh don't try and guilt me-"

"I mean it, Lukas. After everything I did? I should've died. I wanted to. I still want to." He was shaking. "No one should have had to go through any of that, and I'm not going to make excuses for what I did- it didn't feel like me. I got consumed by power and suddenly I wasn't 'Romeo' I was just "Admin' and I loved it." Romeo shuddered. "Funny how when your whole identity is torn away from you, you can see the damage you've done."

Lukas was looking at Romeo again, the intensity in his eyes fading.

"Lukas, I don't expect you to accept my apology. I don't want you to- I don't deserve to have your forgiveness, but please. Don't let your hate for me keep us from saving Xara. For her sake. The Underground needs her more than I can say, and we've got to get her back."

Another tense moment hung between them.

"Okay." Lukas's voice was void of emotion. "Okay." He repeated.

"Thank you."

The two made their way back to the clearing in silence, Romeo curled in on himself and Lukas looking drained.

Jesse ran to Lukas, hands immediately resting on his shoulders, his eyes inspecting the other's face. "Lukas! Are you okay? What happened?" He sounded anxious, one hand moving from a shoulder to rest on Lukas's cheek.

He leaned into the contact, closing his eyes. "Nothing that matters."

Romeo skirted around the two, going back to sit where he'd been before, meeting Ivor's impassive gaze on the way.

The rest of the night was quiet, joyless.

Lukas slept dreamlessly.

Time came again to get moving, everyone prepping to hit the trail again, still a bit shaken from... whatever had happened before.

Jesse was worried about Lukas. Nothing new here, especially not as of late, but after he blew up and went to have a talk with Romeo, Jesse had been more worried than usual. Never had he seen Lukas so angry, not even that time he'd mistaken him for Romeo in the jail, or the time Aiden and him had gotten in a fistfight. But the air about Lukas was different as they set off again, lighter, somehow. Like he'd processed some burden he'd been hiding.

Hiding, yeah, that was another thing. Lukas was hiding something- several things. It was getting unbearable not knowing what was up, too, Jesse itching to ask, but too afraid to step on the other's toes in doing so, especially when, just up ahead, was the end of their journey.

As before, the mountain's peak was impressive, and the phantoms patrolling about menacing. Jesse hated to be a bit tired of it all already, missing the sense of awe at seeing something so incredible, but he mostly just wanted to go home.

The four hid behind a cluster of ice spikes, eyes on the skies, peering around their blockade to check for any signs of Aoife or Cassie. Time to plan.

"Okay gang, let's figure out how we're going to approach this." Jesse leaned against the spike closest to him, using his sword to draw a diagram in the snow. "We are right here, we need to get in there. To do that, we need to draw Aoife's attention away from there. Her phantoms will follow."

"I think we should do that, Jesse." Lukas said. "She already has a vendetta against us, so it'd be easy to get her to follow."

"Okay, that works. " Jesse strategized, drawing a line from behind the spire to the side. "We'll get her out this way, onto the ice." He paused to think. "Cassie might follow. Romeo, Ivor, you think you can keep her busy for a bit?"

'Of course!" Ivor exclaimed. "I've still got some ninja tricks up my sleeves!"

"Great. So while you distract her, Romeo- you'll be in charge of saving Xara, okay?"

Romeo nodded. "I can do that."

"Perfect. Once you get Xara out, you two go help Ivor, and take down as many phantoms as you can on the way- that part goes for all of us. We need to narrow down the threat, and with that many phantoms out there, those are the threat." Jesse added more lines to his diagram, thinking it through. "This could work, but we've all got to be on our A-game, okay?"

Lukas took Jesse's free hand. "We've totally got this."

Ivor and Romeo nodded in agreement, determined, moving to be in position for their part of the plan.

Jesse watched them go, leaning back against the spike for a moment more, then making a move to head off himself- only to be stopped by Lukas's hand on his arm.

"Jesse- look. I-" He stuttered, something rare for someone so fluent in his words. "In case we don't make it out of here-" That was never a good phrase for morale. "-I want you to know something. Something big." Lukas took a deep breath. "Jesse I-"

A phantom's screech covered the sound of his words, obscuring them from Jesse's ear.

"What?"

Lukas's expression read embarrassment. "Nevermind."

"No, tell me."

"I-" A shaky breath. "I can't say it."

They were close, Jesse having leaned in to better hear his companion. Lukas felt like he might suffocate. "Say it, we don't have too much time right now." His voice was quiet.

"Jesse, I think I love you." The words were nearly a whisper, but to the two of them, they were louder than any yell.

Jesse lost his breath. "Lukas-"

Another phantom screech, paired with what could only be the sound of a potion exploding- Ivor.

"We should talk about this later." Lukas mumbled, blushing hard. Poor timing, should've just waited til after. "Sorry to dump that on you right before this."

Jesse still looked a bit shell-shocked, blinking at the revelation of Lukas's words. The two sat there behind the spike, and Lukas worried a moment that he'd broken Jesse with the way the leader was staring. Then his face started to redden, he brought a hand up to his mouth, and stuttered.

"Well- I-" He coughed, hard, running his hand over his face in an attempt to pull it back together. "I think I love you too."

Lukas could've died happily right then and there.

"Yeah?" He asked.

"Yeah." Jesse responded. For him, it was as though everything had clicked into place. The hand holding, the closeness, the worry for Lukas- all of it. Of course he loved him. Of course Lukas loved him too. How long had they both felt this way? How had it taken Jesse so long to notice his own feelings? Was he really so dense?

Lukas laughed a little under his breath. "Wow. Okay. I think we should talk about this more after we're done rescuing Xara and saving the Underground, yeah?"

Right. Xara. The phantoms. Back on track. Jesse shook his head, clearing the thoughts as best he could ignoring the giddy energy in his chest. "Right. Right!" He peered around the spire to the mountain beyond, spotting Ivor waiting in the wings for his queue, looking far too knowing, and incredibly annoyed that this had waited til now to happen. Jesse sighed, collecting himself.

"Ready?" He turned to Lukas again.

"Ready." Lukas replied, looking just as excited and giddy as Jesse felt.

"Let's do this thing."


End file.
